I’m going to kick off Meditation Mondays with a chant that I learned from my yoga teacher, Barbara:
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu
(Low-kaah Suh-muh-staah Soo-Khee-no Bhuh-vuhn-tu)
We repeat the chant and its English translation at the end of each class, “May the entire Universe be filled with Peace and Joy, Love and Light.”
I researched the chant for this post and was surprised when I came up with another translation:
“May all beings everywhere be happy and free and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.”
It seems I’m not just chanting a wish for the world, I’m chanting a promise. I guess it’s not enough to wish for universal Peace and Joy, Love and Light if I’m not willing to promise to do my part to make it happen.
I’ve begun repeating this chant at the beginning and end of my home yoga practice. It speaks to me and reminds me of my responsibility to the collective. When I was going through the diagnostic and surgeries phase of my cancer treatment, it wasn’t easy to concentrate on anyone or anything beyond myself and my immediate family. To be able to relax from worry by taking a breath to calm and center myself is healing. Too often we forget (or at least I do) that I have to bring that consciousness off the yoga mat and into the world, where it can have a greater healing effect on the whole.
Oh, you might have noticed that the “Peace” pillow is missing in the photo. I liked the chant so much that, when I was decorating our family room, I had a pillow made for “Peace” and “Joy,” “Love” and “Light.” I don’t want to name any names, but someone spilled red wine on “Peace” and it had to go in the trash. Just another example of how messy life can be. Guess I’ll have to keeping working on making some Peace of my own (and possibly buy another pillow.)
Hope you’re experiencing greater Peace and Joy, Love and Light than you were able to at the beginning of your cancer journey. Has meditation and/or yoga helped you heal from cancer? I’d love to hear your stories.
Survival > Existence,
Debbie
Where We Go Now 
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cancer coaching
My oncologist strongly suggested meditation and yoga. I was not very good with it, but we came up with a compromise. He gave me some chants and relaxing music and I lie on the couch propped with pillows and zone out to the music…has done wonders for stress reduction. He believes strongly in the power of sound.
Great post Debbie!
Whatever Works, Works for Me
Hi Elyn, I’m so glad to see you here at WWGN! Your oncologist sounds like a very “in tune” kind of doctor. Glad he was able to listen to what you needed and come up with something that worked for you. And it sounds great – I think I’ll try that too.